Claude A Shepperson, an original 1915 drawing for Vogue Magazine

Titled 'The Sale by Auction of Souvenirs—In the Ball Room of the Savoy Hotel, July 28th 1915'

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

This is an original pen and ink drawing by Claude A Shepperson, titled 'The Sale by Auction of Souvenirs—In the Ball Room of the Savoy Hotel, July 28th 1915". The sketch is mounted but not framed. The mount measures 50.5 × 40.5cm, and the image is 25 × 17cm. It is initialled by hand by Shepperson lower centre / right, and with his studio monogram, lower right. Vogue's production marks can be seen to the reverse with pencilled title and date, the double-ended arrow and dimension to denote the reproduction width, and Vogue's own stamp (with Vogue in capital letters).

The drawing captures a high-society charity event in London during the First World War, a typical wartime benefit organized by London society ladies to raise funds for war relief, red cross efforts, or wounded soldiers. There is a dense gathering of people, all in formal wear, with a few figures to draw the eye—one lady rests with a fan to her face, a gentleman greets two ladies in the centre. In the upper background, a balcomy has a crowd of people watching the event.

A fine example of Shepperson's trademark fluid, sketchy line work and vertical shading tones.

Claude Allin Shepperson, ARA, ARWS, ARE, RI (1867–1921) was an influential English painter, printmaker, and illustrator celebrated for his fluid pen work, atmospheric compositions, and elegant draftsmanship. After abandoning legal studies in 1891 to train at Heatherley’s in London and in Paris, he became a prolific contributor to major periodicals—most notably Punch, where his graceful social satire popularized the iconic "Shepperson girl." Beyond his work for magazines like The Strand and The Tatler, Shepperson illustrated classic literary works, including Longmans’ 1902 Swan Edition of Shakespeare, H.G. Wells's The First Men in the Moon, and novelizations by Charles Dickens. Elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1919, his original watercolours, etchings, and drawings are held today in major public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, and Tate.

Condition

The drawing is in very good condition, with just a little age-toning. The mount would possibly need either cutting down or replacing. It has several small tanned marks and a larger triangular area of darkening along the top edge, and further darkening to the extreme edges. The title is also neatly handwritten on the mount below the image.

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